THE Muggletonians Principles PREVAILING BEING An Answer in full to a Scandalous and Malitious Pamphlet Intituled A True Representation OF THE Absurd and Mischevious Principles of the Sect called MUGGLETONIANS WHEREIN The aforesaid Principles are Vindicated and proved to be infallibly True AND The Author of that Libel his Scandalous Title and Subject proved as False to Truth as Light is to Darkness And that he knows no more what the true God is nor what the right Devil is nor any true Principle or Foundation of Faith for all his great Learning he so much bosts of then those Jews that put the Lord of Life to Death For learned and taught Reason is but natural and so falls short of the Glory of God as will appear in the following Discourse Things that are despised hath God chosen to bring to nought Things that are 1 Cor. 1.28 By T. T. Printed in the Year of our Lord God 1695. The Epistle to the sober Reader Curtious Reader I Have here in this insuing Treatis Vindicated the Principles of them People called Muggletonians from that Aspersion and Slander that envious Reason hath cast upon it I being a Member of that Body and knowing those Principles to be Truth having lived in the Knowledg and Practice of them above this Thirty Years Now in that Providence should bring thee in to see this my Answer and shalt find some things very strange to thy Understanding And tho perhaps thou canst not apprehend it at first View for Truth yet if thou canst preserve thyself from dispising it thou dost well to thy own Soul Therefore keep thyself from Judging 1 Cor. 2.15 if thou wilt live in Peace because that none can judg of Spiritual Things but Spiritual Men And know this that the un-judging Man is easy and may afterwards come to Believe being in the time of a Commission and so with the Five wise Virgins bring Oyle in their Lamps before the Dore be shut Mart. 25.4 or Death aproach But to Contend against Truth held forth by a Commission from Heaven is an evident Sgn of Rejection for it will prove a Sin against the Holyghost Therefore I advise thee but to take care of these Two Things the one Not to break the Law the other Not to despise Prophesy because they are both Damnable And more People are Damned for breaking the Law than any other Sin for the Sin against the Holyghost is not committed in every Age but only in the time of a Commission so that more People have committed that Sin within this Forty four Years then hath done of Thirteen Hundred and Fifty Years before So that these Two things are to be shun'd the last most especially Matt. 12.32 Rom. 6. ult 1 Cor. 6.11 Ephe. 2.1 because there is no Sacrifise for that Sin but the other is Pardonable in the time of a Commission by having Faith in the Doctrin thereof and living free from the Breach of the Law after as to the Act. This is the Benefit of a true Ministry but no true Ministry no true Conversion from the Act of Sin Jer. 23.32 But the Elect are preserved from the Act of Sin and kept in innocency of Life at such Times and in such Places as Truth is not known by their generated Faith which leads them to that Threefold Precept of the Prophet Micha 1st To do Justice Mich. 6 8. 2dly To loue Mercy and 3dly To walk humbly with God This is the Substance of pure and undefiled Religion Stand fast here and be Happy So that from what thou findest here written thou upon sight thereof must examine thy own Heart and see how it stands in this Case if thou canst prove thy Election by Faith in the true God now he is made manifest it is well for thee and the Benifit will be thine but if thou canst not believe it yet if thou dispisest it not thou art not against us nor against thy own Soul neither are we against thee be of what Religion or Opinion thou wilt but shall leave thee as the Two Seeds shall find thee at the last Day And so wishing well to all sober Men but more especially to such as are not offended with these plain Truths touching the Lord Jesus Christ being that most High and Mighty God and Everlasting Father so abundantly exalted through the Scriptures of Truth as is now explained and fully declared by the Third and Last spiritual Commission which was to finish that sacred Mistery of God's becoming Flesh and now it is finished if thou canst Believe And he that hath Ears to hear let him hear FAREWEL THE MUGGLETONIANS PRINCIPLES PREVAILING CHAP. I. THe Church of God was never without opposition nor Truth without Hatred for in that there are two Seeds there must be a War entroduced because the Seeds are in opposition to each other being from two several Roots Faith and Reason Light and Darkness God and Devil so that the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent will hould continually Enmity Now you that have Accused the Muggletonians Principles for Impiouse and Mischevious let us come to the Tryal of it with you and of you and see how you durst be so bold as to make so false a Representation of the Muggletonians Principles that you should Intitle your Diabolical Pamphlet by the name of a True Representation of the Absurd and Mischevious Principles of the Sect called Muggletonians If you the Writer thereof had cast them Aspersions upon our Persons and not upon our Principles we would have borne it with silence but in that you have judged our Faith to be Blasphemous and Mischevious which we have received from the Bounty and Love of God therefore in dispising and condemning it you dispise and condemn our God so in this Case we must resist you and stand forth for the defence of our Faith And altho it should be where Satans Seat is yet we will not let go our Inheritance for our Inheritance lies in the Belief of our Principles wherein we have the Charter of Heaven sealed to us therefore we will not only vindicate those our Principles which you so wickedly Represent but will also through Grace seal to them with our Blood if your Law can do it and we be called thereunto For we are able to maintain those Principles for Truth therefore let us now come to the Tryal of Truth and let us set our Principles each against the other and them whose Faith and Wisdom is greatest let them hold the other under in Bondage for ever Sir You are come forth to Curse a quiet and still People who meddle not with your Affairs nor Magistrates Affairs We lift not up our Hand nor make use of a Sword of Steel to slay any Man We defraud no Man we wrong no Man neither are we for thrusting you out of your Earthly Possessions no not out of your Pulpits or Parish-Livings we will have none of them But on the contrary
Voice be never so true if it be alone and without the visible Evidence of working Miracles it is of no value As also you say it must be proved by Scripture without which you make it of no value c. CHAP. III. ANSWER 1. THis your way is to overthrow all Prophesy Numb 11.29 2 Pet. 1.19 1 Thes 5.20 You will tie God to worke Miracles or you will not belive him Either God must do as you will have him or he must not be God It is no wonder that you cannot distinguish between a true Voice and a false because God never chose you by Voice nor never will But how should you believe a vocal Voice when as your God has never a Tongue You have made it here plainly appear that you are of the same Spirit of those murthering Jews who bid Christ come down from the Cross and they would belive in him Matt. 27.42 True Doctrin without Miracles is to you most detestable 2. Again Isa 6.8 52.1 was not all true Prophets chosen by voice of Words nevertheless the Seed of the Serpent could never believe them Jer. 15.10 neither could the Priests or Rulers ever abide them and there was few of them but what was either Persecuted or put to Death 1 Kings 18.22 by the Magistrates and their National Priests There was 450. false Prophets mustred up against Too or Three true Prophets as Elijah and Micaiah and one of them must strike Micaiah one the Cheek as aforesaid and this Priest and Ahab's Son flung him down to bracke his Neck But Elijah the Representor of God's Person by Word of Power slew them all Zâ—ph 1.4 as a Tipe of the Destruction of all false Prophets and false Priests at the end of the World Such a Miracle you want When Isaiah Prophesied of his God's becoming Flesh Isaiah â—5 1 not one would believe him neither Priest nor People Therefore said he Lord who hath believed our Report 1 Kings 19. and Elijah said That all were gon after Baall Nor regarded Truth for that was ever hated I hate him said Ahab 1 King 22 8. for he never said Good of me but Evil It 's now as it was then unless we could bring Fire from Heaven as Elijah did there can be no Belief and it must be to destroy them it might Convince them but it would never Convert them Psal 78.32 If Miracles were wrought now what would it avail this bloody unbeliveing World they would but say as the Jews said of Christ Matt. 12 2â— That they were don by the Devil But what said Paul Toungues and Miracles are but for a Signe not to them that believe but to them that believe not 1 Cor. 14.22 John 10 4â— but Prophesy serveth for them that believe only John the Baptist a great Prophet and yet did no Miracle Thus you call in question the glorious Truths of God under pretence of John Reeves's Weakness as to outward Miracles that you might believe when as his Commission is all spiritual Now the Seed of Faith believes not because of the Miracles wrought by the Lord or his Prophets but in that they were of the Election and fore-ordain'd to believe for the saving of the Soul and as the Christian Dove waits for a Sign within him or from behind Reason 〈◊〉 30.21 for a Word saying This is the Way walk in it Even so on the contrary the carnal Serpent he requires a natural Sign before his Reason that may be seen with his outward Eye to make him believe spiritual Truths and therefore Reason Cries saying Where are you Miracles and where is your Scripture Evidence to prove it Prove by Scripture Now if this Witness should write nothing but what is exactly set down in Scripture then should they write nothing at all But always true Prophesy hath somthing new to deliver Jâ—r 31.22 Again Did the Prophets and Apostles write Matt. 15.32 2 Pet. 1 21. by Imitation or Study or by Inspiration only they might allude somtimes to the Prophets Words for Convincing of Gainsayers Furthermore the Scriptures in themselves are Words of pure Truth to all that spiritually dissern them and that is such as have the Life and Power of them in their own Souls John 6.63 but they that have not the inner Life and Meaning thereof they study the outward Letter by their Reason to find the Life and Meaning thereof Oâ—ed 6.8 John 7 52. and then this their Imagination the Child of study trumpits out it 's own Conceptions upon it This is the work and way of all the seven Anty Churches of Europe every one of them endeavouring to prove their Ministry by the Letter of the Scripture or by the Light within them but never a one from the glorious Voice of the everliving God without them And from hence though they Judg and Condemn each other for false whilst they are all false yet can they agree to Fight against God and his true Prophets by the Letter of the Scripture And you keep these Chests and Boxes of presions things but the Jewels and Treasure is quite gon and is a Stranger to you you know it not but do Despite unto it and put your own Imaginations into the Letter 2 Pet. â— 3 verse 3. 〈◊〉 â— 10 and so turn and wind it about like a Nose of Wax and make it speak for your Honour and Riches Oh! how profitable hath this Letter of the Scriptures been to Reprobate Preachers Wherefore then we who are called Muggletonians in scorn do boldly affirm That though you have got the Letter of the Scriptures and run away with it as a Dogg doth with a Bone yet none of its spiritual Declarations were ever written for your Instruction Rom. 15.4 Deut. 4.6 Jer. 9.23 but for the Instruction of the Seed of Faith For the Law only belongs to you and it may make you wise but not unto Salvation that 's the Property of the Gospel to the Seed of Faith the Seed of the Lord 's own Body for it is the Man of God that is made Wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 31.15 so that he must be a Man of God and have Faith in those Scriptures before he can be Wise unto Salvation because they are given by Inspiration of the holy Spirit and no Man can know them but by the same Spirit as those had that wrote them These things considered how then is it possible that you should apply Scripture to purpose when your Wisdom is not Inspiration 1 Cor. 4.20 but Education what will your Form do to you without the Power If you have the Words of God and not that Word which is God what good will your Word do you What Commission have you to preach to the People Christ tells you that you are but Thieves and Robbers climbing up to Heaven by Ordinances of your own and your own stollen Doctrine John 10.1 for you steal
many as believed in him shall Reign with him at that time And all faithful Men shall rise again and the Residue to Shame because they believed not in God that came in the Flesh to deliver Thus it is made Clear That God the Father became Flesh but one Evidence more from John befor I conclude this Point He in Admiration of his Lords Love cryed out saying 1 John 3.1 O What Love the Father hath bestowed upon us but the World knoweth him not but we know him Now who was this Father of Love was it any other but the Apostles Jesus his following Words doth shew it as clear as the Light saying thus We who are his Apostles do know him and we further know that when He doth appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is That is Psal 3.21 when he comes to change our vile Bodies and make them like his own glorious Body then shall we see him as he is in himself one personal God Cloathed with Flesh and Bone as a Garment of eternal Glory This is the Faith saith John That maketh Pure and he whose Faith abides in Jesus Christ that came by Water and Blood hath the everlasting Father and he that holdeth this Faith sineth not That is he sineth not to Act he may have the motion to Sin but it preserveth from the Act for that golden Grace of Faith crusheth that Cokatrice Egg of the Motion of Sin before it become a stinging Serpent and so Conquers and Overcomes This is the Doctrin of the Gospel and he that Imbraceth it hath the Father and the Son 2 John 10.9 where and to whom the Blessing and the Salvation of God-speed is given This is the true God and the Amen 1 John 5.20 Revel 3.14 and all other Gods are Idols This is the Muggletonian's Principle which the Ante-Scripturian calls a mischievious Principle Thus you curse the true God and defy the Holy one of Israel chusing to your self a God of your own lying Imagination In Page 19. you further Object against that Principle how that the God-head dyed This say you is quite contrary to Scripture which saith God is Immortal and that he hath Immortality 1. Tim. 1.17 6.16 Also you say That Muggleton teacheth That the Soul of Man is Mortal and turns to Dust To this say you the Scripture tells us That the Souls of Men are alive after their Death Matt. 22 32. And that God is said to be their God after they are Dead Matt. 10.28 And that we are not to fear them that can kill the Body and not the Soul And that Lazarus when he dyed went to Heaven and Dives to Hell Luke 16.22 CHAP. IX ANSWER The Scriptures Acts 20.28 say that God purchased the Church with his Blood Now the Blood of Christ was no other but the Blood of God and when he power'd forth that Blood then did he power forth his Life for Life lay in that Blood Therefore it is said That he powered forth his Soul unto Death Isaiah 53.12 Heb 9.14 and that he offered up himself through the eternal Spirit What is that but that the eternal Spirit entered into Death or passed through Death in a Moment into eternal Life Death being too weak to keep him under Coll 2.9 1 Cor. 15.54 so that whatever Life was in Jesus did enter into Death Therefore he that was the Alpha and Omega Revel 1.18 the First and the Last was Dead but is now Alive and behold he now lives for ever more and is that immortal only wise God blessed for ever So that we do affirm 1 Tim. 6.16 2 John 7. Revel 1.18 That God is immortal and we also know that Eternity did become Time for Flesh was in Time and Time did become Eternity again Now in that you Teach That God cannot dye it is evident that you do not belive that Christ was any God at all so that you Trenitarians Arians and Socinians you are all a like and that you are no more Christians then they For it will necessarily follow That if it were nothing but humane Nature or Life in Christ that died then the Death of any other Man had been equevolent to Christ's Sufferings and as Meritorious as his and so your Spirit God without a Body might have saved you by sheding of any other Man's Blood But the true Christian doth know that no Blood can make Attonement for Sin but the most precious and unvaluable Blood of a God to believe this John 6.54 is to drink his Blood And to believe that that blessed Body of his was no less then the very body of God this is to eate his flesh so that whosoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood so hath by so doing gained the full assurance of Eternal Life this is a standing Truth and shall prevail But how is it possible you should believe this when as you cannnot believe that any Life dies at all for say you The Soul of Man is alive after Death here your Ignorance appears very great for all your Learning Where did you ever find by Scripture That the Soul of any man was ever alive without its body The Scripture no where affirms it if rightly understood they are but old Wives Fables or Monks and Fryers Forgeries and heathenish Principles from their own blind Imaginations As for those Sayings concerning Dives and Lazarus 't is but a Parable Luke 16. and so must have a Spiritual meaning for Souls without Bodies have no Tongues nor Eyes nor Bosoms as that Parable speaks of but that Parable was only to set forth the two Seeds here in Mortality which is largely opened by this Commission of the Spirit And as to Christ speaking of God being the God of the living and not of the dead it was spoken to the Saduces who denyed the Resurrection therefore Christ shews that there was a necessity of a Resurrection Act 2.31 and 13.36 seeing that Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the rest of the Prophets were dead and their Sepulchres are with us at this day and if God do not raise them again to that Glory their Faith was pitch'd upon then was he the God of the dead and not of the living in that all dyed to him instead of living to him And as to that saying Fear not them which can kill the body c. That is fear not him that may kill both Soul and Body by a natural death but rather fear him that hath an absolute power in himself to slay both Soul and Body with an Eternal or second Death Moreover when the Scripture saith the body dies doth not that include the soul or natural Life What have you your natural Learning for but to understand the natural sence of words Do you not find that that which our Translation calls body the Greek calleth souls as Numb 6.6 there it is said That he shall come at no dead body in our
have done it And that roaring Lyon Jefferies did say afterwards That he was sorry that their Laws were so unprovided that they could not take away Muggleton 's Life So that it is apparent that the Spirit and Life of these Two Witnesses is not killed but after the Two Winnesses of the Spirit are dead the Spirit and Life will remain in vigour 6thly Wherefore as the other Two Witnesses of Water and Blood did last to the end of the appointed time of their Commissions even so likewise will the Revelation of this Commission last to the end of the World for tho the Doctrin is declared as to the Substance yet in that Doctrin will Revelation arise grow and increase in such as hear it and understand it to their eternal Happiness Joy and Glory and shall Prevail and Triumph over all Forms and Opinions in Religion that now totters more than ever through its own Instability And now Sir are you not either Blind or Malitious or both that would forge Contradictions where there is none yea and to make Lies on purpose to make Truth appear Infamous So that are not you a Shifter of all Shifters and know not where to six or what to say or how to disprove it either by Scripture or sober Reason It 's a poor Shift to falsfy the Words of your Oponant because you have not anything that seems plausible to Answer Sir is this your Learning Pray do you believe that Book of the Revelation by St. John to be true Revelation and a part of holy Writ If you say you do then why will you not give your own Centiments of so much as one Verse and tell the Meaning thereof And if this Interpretation of theirs be not good Sense why do you not Reprove them with better But finding your Ignorance to be such therefore it had been better for you to have let this Book alone and plainly to have said That it was Sealed and you could not read it in its own Sense And it had been better for you to have let these Two Witnesses alone and all the Believers of it alone but you were appointed to that end that your Lies and Slandees against it may bring you to a full Reward For this Book of the Revelation by John was not writen for your Edification but for the Instruction of this last Witness and Benifit of the Seed of Faith to the End of the World as a peculiar Blessing Seal'd to them from Heaven And therefore by this Blessing of Faith and Knowledge in the Scriptures of Truth which is now given unto us we do from hence find that you have no part of the Blessing of this Book of the Revelation of St. John as may appear by these Seven Particulars following As First This Commission of the Spirit hath seen into the Book of Life wherein they have found the Names of the Prophets Apostles Chap. 20.15 and the Witnesses of the Spirit Recorded there as true Commissionated Messengers of God but your Name was not found there as a Minister of God This is the first Evidence of your Exclusion Secondly These Witnesses and the Believers thereof Chap. 14.3 have looked and seen those Hundred forty and four thousand Virgins that were Redeemed from the Earth standing with the Lamb their only God on Mount Sion singing that new Song of all Praise to the Lamb But you not having learn'd that Song of all Praise to the Lamb were not found amongst them but we Chap. 17.5 22.18 looking about have seen you in that great City Mistery Babilon the Mother of all Harloting and Blaspheming Priests who are said by the Spirit to have the Curse of this Book for ading and taking away from it For you add your own Imaginations to it and so from thence will make your own confounded Reason to be the Judg of it as I shew'd before in Chap. 2. Thirdly As we have seen you add your own vain Thoughts to it so likewise have we seen you taking away from the Words of this Prophesy Chap. 11.2 and the Two Witnesses thereof For you will not suffer those last true Prophets to have any Footing here but would thrust them out of the Book of Life Chap. 18.7 and thrust yourself into it But this Commission sheweth us That God will take away your part out of the Book of Life not that you had any there but that you thought you had and thought your Name was there but you are not in the Book of Life to be found neither as a Teacher nor as a true Believer as those Two Witnesses are and the true Believers thereof We have found our Names in this Book of Life of the Lamb Chap. 3.5 the only and alone wise God to our eternal Comfort and his everlasting Praise Forthly Again you have further taken away from this Book Chap. 22.4 2.18 19 12. 1.18 in that you denyed God to have any Body Face or Shape So that as the Blessing of this Book is That the Saints shall see his Face so the Curse of this Book is That such as have denyed him as aforesaid shall never see his Face to their Comfort Fifthly you have likewise taken away from this Book Chap. 1.8.18 2.8 in that you teach that the Alpha and Omega did not die But this Book doth declare that the Alpha and Omega the First and the last did die and shed his Blood by which he redeemed his Elect Seed so what part can you have in this Purchase seeing you deny that God had any Blood or offered up any Life by sheding of the same Sixthly 1 John 5.20 Revel 19.16 17. 15.13 1.8 22. â— 16 18.8 17.14 You also further add and take away from this Book of John in that you say That there is a God distinct from Christ And further say That Christ Jesus our Lord is not the sole God But this Book of John owns no other God at all but Jesus Christ giving him the Titles of First and Last the Alpha and Omega King of Kings God very God true God great and almighty God and the God of all Prophets Where then should there be any other God besides Jesus Christ our Lord for this divine Apostle who lived and leaned in the Bosom of this Lord knew not any other God as is abundantly proved Seventhly and lastly This God the Lord Jesus you have Renounced his Prophets you have Persecuted and Belied the true Faith you have despised for you have not only Contradicted and Dispised the Doctrin of the Second Commission which was the Commission of Blood but you have also to agrivate your Crime called the Doctrin of this Third and Last Commission which is the Commission of the Spirit and which is one of them three great Armies that in Heaven will follow the Lamb upon white Horses Chap. 19.14 which is the Righteousness of Faith in his blessed Person I say you have called this Commission Blasphemy Delusion Deceat And that it is say you made up of Impiety Nonsense and Alsurdities And in general calls them mischevious Principles Confusion and Contradiction and that we are a peraici ous and contemptable Sect c. So that from hence it doth plainly appear Chap. 19.15.20 21.27 That you have brought yourself under the Judgment and Sensure of that Book of John and of this Commission of the Spirit which doth so fully explain that Prophesy being sent to finish the Mistery of God Chap. 10.7 And now behold it is finished and you have beard and now you will find Psal 62.11 that Power belongeth unto this God and to this his Commission of the Spirit FINIS
the Words from your Neighbour the Seed of Faith and then Cry Thus saith the Lord. What do you bring as an Offering but what you have stolen from others do you delver anything but Trascriptions and Historical Notions the Repetitions of the Letter of the Scriptures and the Sentences of the antient Fathers 2 Cor. 10.16 there is the Line you boast in so that you do no more in ephect but rob the Dead to cloath the Living For have you so muth as opened the Meaning of one Text of Scripture in all your blind Pamphlet you have named the Words and then left them to Answer for them selves as I shall shew hereafter Again you further Object against their Doctrin of Infalibility in that they say They write by an unerring Spirit Now say you an Infalible Spirit implys the highest Certainty But say you his Book is Inconsistant with it self for Muggleton saith I am perswaded in my spirit and I do rather belive that there were Seven Hundred Thousands than Seven Thousands Revel 11.13 though the Revelation of John doth but express it but Seven Thousands Now say you to be perswaded and to belive a Thing to be so are Inconsistant to Infalibility for that admits no less than I am sure of it say you CHAP. IV. ANSWER THE Prophets did both of them write by an infallible and un-erring Spirit the Doctrine of them Six Principles the Knowledg of which John 17.3 Salvation doth depend upon but as to some perticular Points that are besides the Foundation there is not that Nessessity to be so positive But as to the Essential Points of Faith they were written by an un-erring Spirit and are infallibly True and against Men and Angels they affirm it and we as truly believe it to the great Peace and Satisfaction of our Minds For what is it that can satisfy the Mind of Man but Truth having the Seal of Life in it as every true Minister of God hath For every true Minister of God hath Power to set Life and Death before Men and can say Matt. 18.18 Now is fulfilled such and such Things Also he that is sent of God 1 Cor. 2.15 knoweth the Things of God and he that believeth in such a One knoweth the Things of God likewise But how can you judg of Infalibility that do not own your self Infalible but Falible What is Falible but a Lye and must a Lye be the Judg of Truth He that knoweth the Mind of the Lord he may Instruct from the Lord 1 Cor. 2.15 Vers 16. but he that hath not the Infalible Spirit doth from his lying Spirit prescribe Rules to God and would be God's Counsellor Now must such ignorant carnal sleshly Men as these Judg Infalibility that have nor own no other Spirit but what is Falible But to come to the Point and Charge against Lodowick Muggleton For although the Prophets and Apostles were Infalible as to all essential points of Faith yet as to other things that were circumstantial and not so essential in such things Prophets and Apostles may differ about them in their Experience and Judgment Thus Paul withstood Peter Gal. 2.11 and Reproved him and though Paul there gainsaid Peter yet in som other things Paul himself was not positive As for Instance Paul treating on Marriage 1 Cor. 7.6 he speaks as the Prophet Muggleton doth here and tells the Believers That it was his Judment That it were better for them not to Marry And further adds That he thinks â— Vâ—se 39.10 That this his Judment is right and that it was from the Spirit of God Now I presume by what you have said of these that had you been living then and had heard of Paul's talking of having the Infalible Spirit of God you would presently have judged him a false Apostle notwithstanding the Miracles he had done and that he had contradicted himself and that his thinking was inconsistant to his Infalibility and so was not to be Believed Again if you had heard that Paul Circumcised Timothy Asts 16.3.2 Gal. 5.2 and yet nevertheless told the Galatians That if they were Circumcised they could not be Saved I say had you been in those Days Would not you have said That Paul had Contradicted himself and the Scriptures both Matt. 28.2 Luke 24.2 and would not you also have judged the Four Evangelists to have Contradicted one another in several places for as you Judg and Condemn these so you would have Judged them for these were sent by Jesus Christ and Paul was sent by no other God Again in Page 9. you quote John Reeve saying that he saith That he is Indued with a divine Gift to write a Volom as large as the Bible and as pure a Language as that is without looking into any Book or having any real Contradiction in it Upon these Words you make the Reflection fallowing Your Accusation runs thus saying That if the purity of the Language be a Sign of Truth Then say you I am sure it is far from being either True or Infallible For said you they do not write true English nor good Sence as likewise it often fails in the propriety of Words in Concord and Connexion being without Method Purity or Elogancy c. CHAP. V. ANSWER SIR in Answer to this The truly Wise do know that God's Messengers never regard fineness of Speech but soundness of Matter Not so much the Original of Words as the Original of Things even such as they are moved too by the Holy Ghost and not such Language as you are moved too by your Educated Spirit of Reason which is the Angels nature Fallen But in that you have no where contradicted our Principle which shews what the Person and Nature of Angels are therefore there is no Occasion given here to Dispute it but to Return to the matter aforesaid Spiritual Truth or Gospel Life was ever plain and was never delivered with new quined or high-flown Words of Man's Wisdom 1 Cor. 2.1 This made an old learned Philosophical Bishop Judg so hard by the Revelation by John not thinking it John's because of the Rudeness of the stile Dionisius For said he I see his Greek not exactly uttered the Dialect and Phrase not observed I find him said this Bishop using barbarous Phrases And Paul was called a clouter of Skins a Cobler by the Philosophers and a Man of no Breeding And he acknowledged himself but rude in Speech though not in true Wisdom but he had taken some Learning up at the Foot of Gamalial but he laid it down there again as soon as the Spirit of Faith became his Teacher All his Wisdom that he now valued was the Knowledg of Christ Crucified and Risen again which his former Wisdom could not know Acts 22.3 but on the contrary was the Persecutor of him Again Spiritual Truth or Faith was ever brought in Naked and Simple and in poor Array But Falshood doth ever indeavor to
behold him as he is in his full Glory Deut. 10.6 If God was willing at any time that some of his Servants the Prophets should behold him he was compelled to vale his Glory so as that their frail Nature might be in a capasity to behold him And this we further affirm That we can sooner find in Scripture that our God hath and ever had a distinct Body of himself than you can find in Scripture a Trinity of Persons in one Godhead for if you find Three distinct Persons then you must find Three Bodies and where then is your Spirit God become 4. Again is not the Scriptures clear That the Fathers of old did see God Gen. 17.3 Exod. 24.10 Isa 6.5 John 35.9 Exod. 33.23 and ever beheld him in Form and Shape of a Man Will you say that God assumed that Shape and yet had no Shape of his own this is to make God a Conniver It is no wonder as I said before that you dispise John Reeve for saying that the Lord spake to him to the hearing of the Ear for you do not believe that God hath any Tongue to speak at all For say you a Spirit hath no Flesh and hath no Body For say you Body and Spirit are Two contrary things As the Scripture saith that God hath a Body Dan. 7.9 Revel 10.1 1.14 John 6. â— Psal 94.9 Nâ—mâ— 12.8 Isa 6â— 5 so it attributes to this Body Hands Eyes Face Nose Mouth Ears Arms Leggs Breast Heart Back c. And yet must he have never a Body this is clearly to deny Scripture for the Scripturian saith That God hath a Body but the Antescripturian saith That God hath neither Body Parts or Shape but yet is an infinite vast God filling all things and is in all Places at one and the same time and so can neither Assend nor Descend Come nor Go but is everywhere at once as your great Augustin saith This is yours and the Worlds monstrous God Are those the Men that are so capable of Argument if we should be as ignorant in the Scriptures as you it were no matter if our Tongues should cleave to the Roof of our Mouths I wonder you are not ashamed to pretend to Scripture do you believe the Scripture Certain I am that there are many Doctors of your Church that doth not believe them at all for instance hereof there is one of your Doctors namely Dr. More This Man in one of his Books called his Cabila doth little less than give the Scripture the Ly for treating upon the Creation of Man by Moses saith That the Scriptures doth not always speak according to the exactness of Truth but according to their Appearance in Sense and the vulgar Opinion and he quotes Chrisostim Bernard and Aquinus as holding the same things and instances it as to the Creating of Adam and Eve Saying thus God hath no Figure or Shape altho Moses saith he hath he only permits the Ignorant and Vulgar People to Believe so it being his Prudence and Policy so to do Now is not this Odious for what Prudence is it to Flatter Dissemble and Deceive the People for must Gods Prophets be but like Polititians of State pretending one thing and acting another Again this Man brings in Moses speaking thus God took of the Dust of the Ground wrought it with his Hands into such a temper that it was fit to make the Body of a Man which when framed then comes near to it with his Mouth and breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life And when God had made a Woman of one of Adam 's Ribs he takes her by the Hand and brought her to Adam so when Adam was awaked Geâ— 2â— 21 he found his Dream to be true for he dream'd that God took a Woman out of him for God stood by him with a Woman in his Hand Now it is true says this Doctor Moses spakes in this manner to satisfy the rude Multitude who was ever ready to think that God was in Forme and Shape as they were and thus Moses complyed with their Humour and permited them to belive so yet saith he it is a Contradiction to the Idia of God to have Figure and Shape Now what say you to this is not this giving Moses the Lie Moses you see would permit People to believe That God was in the Form of a Man Now why will not you permit us to believe so Moses did not count this Doctrine a mischievous Principle as you do but you with this Man set your selves against Moses and against the Scriptures they are counted no other than a Lie with you Now it is clear by this that many of you Doctors are stark blind Athists your Protestant Church is now grown as blind with Age almost as your Fathers the Papists and as Atheistical as one of the Popes who said That that Fable of Jesus Christ had brought their Church great Riches And one of that Church said to me that the Scriptures were but balderdash Stuff Now as to that saying of Christ's to his Disciples That a Spirit had not Flesh and Bone as he had it was only to inform them that there was no such Spirit as the World imagined that could be seen that had no Body for Eyes of Flesh must have a Substance for its Object Therefore said Christ handle me and see for I have a Body a Substance of very Flesh and Bone John 20 2â— and they felt and believed him to be their Lord and God For Christ from hence would have them for ever after to know that all Spirits whither of God Men or Angels are always invisible for it is the Body that is visible for the Soul that is in it is always invisible which Spirit comprehends all visible things yet cannot Live Act or Operate without its Body And so much for that Principle Again Page 19th you Representor object against that most divine and misterious Principle of God the Fathers becoming Flesh and call this a Doctrine quite contrary to Scripture and produce those Scriptures for Proof against us namely that God sent his Son made of a Woman And the Word was made Flesh but say you there is not one Word That the Father was made Flesh CHAP. VIII ANSWER IT is confessed by us Gal. 4.4 John 5.26 10.18 Epb. 5.2 that the Scripture saith That God sent his Son as also that Christ came of himself and that he laid down his Life of himself Now if he laid down his Life of himself then where was the Father but in himself for it was his divine Spirit that was the Father by which he could lay down his Life by that self and by that self could take it up again For God transmuteing his spiritual Body into Flesh so gained the Godhead and humane Nature together Heb. 1.3 and so hath a Twofold Self Humane and Divine Therefore when he saith he hath Power of himself to lay down his Life Titus
2.14 then he speaks as in Referance to his God-head and when he saith That he can of himself do nothing and the like Isa 45.15 21 22 23. â—â—â—pared then he speaks as in relation to his Manhood God then hideing himself in that Manhood Again if it be granted That Christ is God and Man then it must be acknowledged That where Christ is there the Father is John 14. â— 9 Gal. 1.4 1 â—et 2.24 and Christ affirms it himself saying That he that had him had the Father and he that had seen him had seen the Father Now from all this doth it not plainly appear That he was the Father himself as well as the Son And John saith John 1.1 Verse 1â— Matâ— 1.20 That in the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God And this Word was God and that God or Word became Flesh Then surely that one God was Father as well as Son unless you can prove there were Two Gods or with the Arians That Christ was one with the Father in Union but not in Essence and if so then every Believer is as much God as Christ is But you have your Two Gods one of which you say took Flesh the other did not here you divide the Sub stance What a Monster do you here make of God for you had before Christs Incarnation those Two Gods in Heaven a Father God and a Son God and that Son you say The Father Begot before all Worlds and then was begot again in this World so your God the Son was Twice Begot or Twice Made Is this good Sence is this your Wisdom is this good Divinity nay without all Controversy this is quite contrary to Scripture and to sober Reason also Zâ—ch 1â— 9 Deuâ— 6. â— Isaiah 42.8 48.11 Psal 103.20 Heb. 1.6 For was there ever any more than one God and did not the Prophet Isaiah say That God would not give his Glory to another and yet it is said That all the Angels of God should Worship Christ Isaiah 45.23 Phil. 2.10 and that to him every Knee should bow and that not only in Earth but in Heaven also Reâ—â—l 22.6 Compar'd with Verse 14. Who then could share with him for he was the Lord God of all the Prophets testified by the Angel unto John which Angel bid John worship God even that God of the Prophets which was no other but Jesus Christ Therefore it is said I Jesus have sent my Angel and behold I come quickly c. There is no other God to come no other Father no other Resurrection and Life 1 John 2.23 5.7 2 John 9. Acts 4.12 no other Name or Power but Jesus Christ our Lord tho Men or Angels should gainsay it as I have abundantly shew'd in a Treatis intituled None but Christ Moreover John 17.3 to prosecute this Principle a little further here because it is our Life and Foundation Principle and it is impossible for any Man to be saved that shall presumptuously dispise this Doctrin of Jesus being the everlasting Father after so plain a Discovery I am now to inquire how you Trenitarians Sosinians and Arians bring Christ in for your Saviour You say That by the Fall of Adam all Men had incurred Damnation and so were become God the Father's Debtors and the Father standing upon Justice would not be Reconciled with them without the full payment of that Debt as Life for Life Now say you the Father was so far pleased as to send his Son to pay the full Debt And say you this Son came voluntarily and paid the Debt and by this means satisfied the Wrath of his Father and so purchased your Life by his Ransom Wherefore if it be so as you Teach That the Father is distinct from that Son then are you not beholding to the Father at all For take this Similitude for the Elustration thereof Suppose I owe a Man a 1000 Pounds or more and I have not wherewith to pay him and he will not forgive me any of the Debt or I must either pay it all or to Prison there to remain till I have paid the utmost Farthing The Son of this my Creditor sees the Strait I am in Commiserates my Case steps in voluntarily and pays the Father the full Debt and so sets me at Liberty Now in this Case who am I most beholding to the Father or the Son not to the Father at all for he was for Justice and I wanted Mercy The Son therefore was my Friend and to him only am I bound and him only am I to Love Serve and Obay This is the very plain Case Phil. 3.8 Ephe. 6.24 1 Cor. 16.22 1 Tim. 6.15 Revel 5.12 Jonn 17.5 2 Cor 5.19 2 John 9. John 8.36 1 Pet 1.19 2 Pet. 6. Heb. 2.14 it is the Son Christ Jesus that all the Elect Seed of Adam are beholding to and not to any Father that either is or ever was distinct from him But the Father of Christ was his own Godhead Spirit which through his eternal Love to the Seed of his own Body was moved to change his Spiritual Body which was his everlasting Son into Flesh to the end he might be capable to dye and shed his Blood for their Redemption as also that he might have Power to raise the Seed of the Serpent to a Second and eternal Death for their Cruelty acted against him and his Elect Seed Therefore his coming in Flesh was foretold by Isaiah and all the other Prophets Isaiah 9.6 and that the Son that was to be born of a Virgin should in time be called the mighty God and everlasting Father Now at this time this Prophesy is fulfilled and by this Commission of the Spirit he is both called and known to be the high and mighty God and everlasting Father This Scripture is possitive and shall command all primative Scriptures to bow down to it Thus the Scriptures are clear to all that are appinted to Salvation that Christ Jesus is that one only and alone true God and everlasting Father To this the Holy Patriacks agree observe their Testimony which is consonant to Scripture being grounded upon Enoch's Prophesy Sim shall be glorified when the great Lord God of Issrael appeareth on the Earth as a Man to save Adam for God taking a Body upon him namely of Flesh and Bone and eating with Men shall save Men. Ye shall see God in the shape of a Man said Zebulon he is the Saviour he is the Father of Nations he that Believeth in him shall certainly Reign in Heaven saith Levy and Judeth God shall appear and dwell amongst Men upon Earth to save Israel the Highest shall visit the Earth eating and drinking as Man with Man he shall save Israel That is God hiden in Man At the last Day we shall rise every one of us to his own Scepter saith Benjamin Worshiping the King of Heaven which appeared in the base Shape of a Man and as
Bible but after the Greek your own Doctors read thus He shall come at no dead Soul Is it not said Gen. 2.17 That man was made a living soul And was not the threatning charge given out That that soul that sinned Ezek. 18. vers 20. that soul should dye and yet say you the soul cannot dye Now that which the National Ministry do make a ground of the Immortality of the soul is to all spiritual wise men an evident proof of its Mortality as where it is said so such a one dyed and was gathered to his people now whether is it that they were gathered but into the grave As for instance see 2 Kings 22.20 If the Soul can enjoy Heaven without its body Col. 3.4 1 Thes 4.14 what matter of a Resurrection but it is certain that the Scriptures affirms the contrary and that there can be no Salvation without a Resurrection When God shall raise the dead Mat. 13.41 c. 24.31 c. 25.31 John 5. â—8 c. 11.43 he hath his Angels attending to gather the Saints together as God raiseth them neither God nor his Angels doth not bring their Souls from Heaven to â—â—ume their dead bodies but our God raiseth Soul and Body together out of the Grave by a word speaking as he did the Body and Soul of Lazarus Again on the other hand 1 Revel 20.13 Isa 66.24 must all the damned Souls come from Hell to fetch up their cursed bodies What Hell do they come from but out of the Grave Soul and Body out of the Grave and when the Soul and Body rises Jer. 17.13 Mich. 7.71 Exâ—d 10.21 Revel 10.10 then the Devil rises to his eternal Punishment and this Earth will be the place of the Devils Torment where he acted all his Lies and Cruelty there shall he suffer eternally after the Elect Men and Angels are assended with their God into Eternal Glory the Plagues of Egypt were a Tipe of this These things will be so in their time And so much in answer to this Principle In pag. 20th you oppose John Reeve for saying How that but one Angel fell from his Created Purity and Glory This Doctrine say you The Accusation is quite contrary to Scripture which tells us in Jude That the Angels fell and this say you cannot be apply'd to Kain and his Posterity For they say you by our own words never fell And as for Kain say you He never was from that fallen Angel but was of Adam's begetting as well as Seath. And again you affirm also That all Kain's Offspring nerished in the Floud CHAP. X. ANSWER IF that Offspring of that Serpent-Angel that was cast from Heaven could know it self Isa 29.10 John 12.40 Rev. 11.7 then you might know that these Angels spoken of in Jude were the Offspring of Cursed Kain the Serpent Angel transmuted into Flesh and reserved in Chains of Unbelief and the Darkness of Ignorance For Jude spoke of no other Devils but what were clothed in Flesh and it was they that were the Devils ordained to condemnation And therefore mind for he brings in Sodom and Gomorrah and the Rebellious Jews against Moses and those upstart Hypocrites who denied the Lord to be the only and alone true God and yet pretended his Name All these saith he were ordained to condemnation in that Serpent-Angel aforesaid being reprobated in the Seed and Kain was that Seed And therefore Jude pronounces the Woe unto them as the Off-spring and Seed of Kain v. 11. to whom Eternal Torment doth belong Again Rev. 12.7 where it is said that there was a war in heaven Michael and his Angels fighting against the Dragon and his Angels That Michael was the Spirit of the Lord Jesus in all his Angelical Believers and the Dragon was the Spirit of Cursed Kain in all his Seed This War was on Earth tho' said to be in Heaven because the Original of both Seeds came from Heaven for there never was any actual Rebellion in Heaven but that Angel-Serpent aforesaid being cast out all his Seed fell in him and was cast out with him and so actual Rebellion took place And therefore said John Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth for the Devil not Devils is come down amongst you Verse 12.17 And it was this Devil that brought the Wo both to Saint and Serpent in this Warfare doth these Two Woes take place to them Two Seeds one in this Fight having his Heel bruised Gen. 3.15 Rev. 13.7.10 which is in Persecution loss of Goods and Death natural the other having his Head bruised by the Saints Weapons of War which reacheth to a second Death And this Devil that was cast down 1 John 3.12 was the Father of Cain from whence all Wickedness and Cruelty hath flown for Cain was the very First-born of that Devil and the fulness of that Serpent-Angel's God-Head lived Boddily in Cain and such of his Seed that have in them a great Share of that piercing Reason or God-head-power became potent Angels Lords and Governours of this World it being given to that Seed and they labour in this their Kingdom to imitate the grandure of that Glory their Father the fallen Angel had before his Fall and to come as near to it as possibly they can And here it is Ezek. 29.3 That the Prophet Ezekiel compares Pharaoh King of Egipt to the great red Dragon And the Assirian Monarch was said by the Prophet to be in Dignity Power Glory and Buty like unto his Father the Angel before his Transmutation into Flesh Chap. 33.3 when he walked once in the Garden of Eden being greater than several others of his Father's Children The great Kings of Babilon were said to be from Lucipher and therefore were called after his Name Lucipher the Sun of the Morning And they are said by the Prophet Isaiah Isa 14.12 To be cast down from Heaven which could not be if they had not proceeded from the fallen Angel And as they were cast down from Heaven in that Angel even so they were for exalting their Thrones above the Stars and to be like unto God which doth shew That they were evil Kings and evil Beasts For good Kings and such as proceed not from Cain they are not for exalting themselves so high as to that Heavenly Throne of judging of Mens Faith and Conscience neither will they tiranise over their Subjects but do Justice according to the Law But to the Matter aforesaid The great King of Tyrus Ezek. 28.3 seems to out-top all the foregoing Kings with Angelical Perfection for he is said to be the very anointed Cherub himself he having as great a Share of that lost Glory as his fallen Nature could afford him for that Angel that he proceeded from was a Church which was the highest Order of Angels and this King was of the highest Degree of Wisdom Buty and Glory And therefore his Perfections was such Verse 13.14 as that he